Round Robin journal entry #1

Well I finished my first Round Robin spread. For this first exchange I got Lisa’s book. Her theme is The Secrets of the Sea. Lisa collaged the Waterhouse Mermaid on the front cover so of course I imagined this first spread with a mermaid in it. I thought about the subject “Secrets of the Sea” and my first question was how could anyone ever know the secrets of the sea? The sea is such a vast space filled with mystery upon mystery I’m not sure that we will ever know them all. This brought an image to mind of a mermaid keeping secrets as she looked out over the Sea of Time. About a year ago I found a great vintage art book with a beautiful painting of a nude woman seen from the back. I decide to turn this into my mermaid. I also had a great photo that I had taken from Pigeon Point lighthouse of the ocean. I decided that there needed to be some 3-D type elements to bring some depth to the collage so I used pumice Gel on the rocks and gel medium with a few drops of interference green in it to add to the waves. I made the Mermaid tail out of molding paste. I painted all the textures then over- painted the collage image to fuse the image and textures together. I really had some trouble trying to get the mermaid’s tail in the correct position. I found a position that worked but I’m still not that happy with the final result. What I really like is the way that the texture worked on the rocks and the depth that the texture created to the ocean. It does make the ocean look vast. I also really like the dreamy quality that I achieved by adding a titanium buff color all around the edges. It makes it seem like a memory. The last bit of paint was Quinacridone nickel azo gold to age the image a bit. On the whole I like the spread but it’s definitely not perfect. What do you think?

The end of July?!

Greetings everyone,

It's difficult to believe that the month of July is almost ended. Between the studio, classes, Altered book club, visiting relatives and trying to fit a little art into the spaces in between, July seems like a blur. One very exciting thing is that our local Altered Books club has started a year long altered book round robin! The club started about 8 years ago at Luna's Memories with only 2 or 3 of us meeting once a month. The club has now grown to 12 or 13 active members. This will be our largest project to date and the very thing I have been waiting for! It's taken us 8 years to get to this point and I really want to create my best art for everyone's book. I will try to keep a monthly journal of my year long adventure into the world of the round robin for your entertainment and my sanity.

As for classes: I will be giving one last Altered Book #4 class this Saturday the 31st at Art Max in Seaside. Here are the details:

Saturday July 31st Where: Art Max in Seaside Class: Altered Books #4-The Niche Description: How can a book hold a 3 dimensional object? By cutting a niche of course! In this 4th class in the Altered Book Series we will learn to cut and prepare a niche to hold your special treasures, create a shrine or a 3-D scene. Items to bring: Your altered book and altered book kit that includes an xacto knife or box cutter and a cutting mat. Time: 11:00 to 2:30pm Fee: $35.00 To sign up for this class please email me at connie@isbjorn.com.

And at C.Andrews studio this week Erica will be giving her make-a-wish birthday card class. Erica is generously giving up some of her summer vacation from college to give this class to benefit the Make-a-wish Foundation.

Here are the details:

Thursday July 29th Instructor: Erica Shue Location: C.Andrews Studio Class: Make-a-wish Birthday Card Class Description: Come make birthday cards and help support the Greater Bay Area Make-A-Wish Foundation. Share the power of a wish while making 6 handmade cards. $20 of your class fee will be donated to Make-A-Wish and will help grant wishes to children with life threatening medical conditions. Written information about Make-A-Wish is available by calling (800) 464-9474 or by visiting its website at www.makewish.org. Time: 6:00 to 9:00pm Fee: $25.00 Class limit: 8 To sign up for Erica’s class please email her at charmbracelet13@hotmail.com Well that will wrap up a busy July. But onto August. Stay tuned for August schedules both my classes and at the studio. And my upcoming Round Rpbin Sanity journal. I hope to see you soon!

Christmas in July!

It's Christmas in July folks! Its too early to think about Christmas you say? No way. Why not get a jump start now and have a blast at the same time.

This Saturday(24th) at C.Andrews studio we will be offering a double class! To Start Maria Ontiveros will offer her Ephemera card class. In this class you will learn how to compose great cards using all the bits and pieces left over from other projects or collected because you just knew you could use it for something. Well now you will be using all the items most people would throw away in a unique and creative way! Its recycling at its best!

After Maria's class Cindy McCool will teach you to make dominos in her own unique way! If you've never played with alcohol inks this is a great way to learn. Every student will walk out

wearing their domino jewelry or a great gift ready to give! Here are the details:

Saturday July 24th Instructor: Maria Ontiveros Class: Creating Cards with Ephemera Class Description: Are you swimming in collage sheets, text paper plus other ephemera and want a way to put it to good use? Love the look of vintage cards but don't know where to start or don't have the materials? Want to get a start on your Christmas presents now? Come and learn how to use collage images, text and other ephemera to create visually balanced and aesthetically pleasing cards. We will cover four designs/techniques, and the class fee includes materials to complete eight cards. In addition, the class fee includes a wooden cigar box in which to package your cards, making them the perfect gift. Items to bring: Please bring scissors, a paper trimmer, and your favorite adhesive. Although I will have plenty of ephemera and rubber stamps, you are free to bring your own rubber stamps and ephemera. Time: 9:00am to 12:00pm Fee: $30.00 To Sign up for Marias class please email her at rinda1961@yahoo.com Instructor: Cindy McCool Class: Domino Gifts Cindy’s Way Description: Come learn how to use Alcohol Inks for your domino backgrounds and use power tools as you drill your completed projects to complete with fashion bail closures and charms. Each student will complete 3 dominos including an "Initial Domino" and will leave class with fully completed Dominos that can be immediately worn or given as gifts. Items to bring: Apron or wear clothing that you don't mind getting accidental stains on as alcohol inks are permanent, Brushes to smoothly apply diamond glaze onto your domino, Heat tool, mouse pad Time: 1:00 to 4:00pm Fee: $35.00 Class limit: 8 students To sign up for this class please email Cindy at: cmccool@mccoolmgt.com See you soon!

Altered book weekend!

Greetings everyone!

Well last nights Beach glass class was absolutely wonderful. Everyone was pretty tickled with their created bracelets. That's because each and every one of them was wonderful. I would like to thank all the students that traveled to the studio last night to take the class.

This weekend is altered books weekend. I will be teaching altered books #4-Carving out your niche. A niche is the way you can include 3-D items in your altered books. Not only that but you could ceate a shrine inside of your book or include a 3-D scene! So what have I included in my niches? A twisted sailors Valentine complete with drowned man and greedy Mermaid and 3-D ghosts of course! What will you put in your niche?

Here are the class details for this weekend:

Saturday July 17th Where: C.Andrews Studio Princeton-by-the-Sea Class: Altered Books #4- The Niche Description: How can a book hold a 3 dimensional object? By cutting a niche of course! In this 4th class in the Altered Book Series we will learn to cut and prepare a niche to hold your special treasures, create a shrine or a 3-D scene. Items to bring: Your altered book and altered book kit that includes an xacto knife or box cutter and a cutting mat. Time: 10:00 to 2:00pm Fee: $35.00 Class limit: 7 If you wish to sign up for this class please email me at connie@isbjorn.com Sunday July 18th Where: Scrapbook U in Fremont Class: Altered Books #4-The Niche Description: How can a book hold a 3 dimensional object? By cutting a niche of course! In this 4th class in the Altered Book Series we will learn to cut and prepare a niche to hold your special treasures, create a shrine or a 3-D scene. Items to bring: Your altered book and altered book kit that includes an xacto knife or box cutter and a cutting mat. Time: 1:00 to 4:00pm Fee: $35.00 If you wish to sign up please call Scrapbook U at 510 490-5065

See you soon!

Tonight-Beach Glass!

Greetings everyone!

No that's not real beach glass in the pictures above its Shrink Plastic. And that's what we will be creating tonight at C.Andrew studios! This will be a fun, relaxing class tonight. Perfect for the middle of the week blues. Not only that but every student will walk out wearing a beautiful new bracelet!

Here are the details:

Wednesday July 14th Where: C.Andrews Studio Class: Shrink Art #6-Beach glass Description: Do you love to beach comb? Are you especially attracted by the jewel tones of beach glass? You don’t have to walk on the beach to find these jewels. We can make them with shrink Plastic! In this class we will learn to simulate beach glass with shrink plastic then combine it with glass beads, pearls, charms and wire to make a beautiful beach glass charm bracelet. Items to Bring: Please bring a pair of scissors all other materials will be supplied. Time: 6:00pm to 9:00pm Fee: $40.00 To sign up for this class please email me at connie@isbjorn.com

I hope to see you tonight!

Pearl Girlz at C.Andrews studios this weekend!

Greetings!

I haven't had much time to blog lately. I just closed down the Coastside Mixed Media Artist showing. The show just went great! The exhibit looked wonderful and we sold about half of the pieces available for exhibit. I want to sincerely thank Max the owner of M Coffee on main street in Half Moon Bay for once again allowing the group to exhibit.

Thank goodness today is friday because that means another creative weekend at C. Andrews studios. I am very sorry to say that Julee Hermann's Secret Journal class has been cancelled. Julee will be moving to a new house and so has had to cancel all of her summer classes. Since there will be no class on Saturday I have declared it an open studio day! Please see the details of open studio below.

On Sunday Ingrid Pomeroy will be at the studio with her wonderful Pearl Girlz class! You can see these beautiful ladies above. To my joy I have Sunday off so I will be joining the class! I can't believe that I actually get to take a class for a change.

If you are interested in the Pearl Girlz class sign up as soon as possible! Spaces have gone fast but Ingrid has room for 1 or 2 more people.

Here are the details for this weekend at the studio:

Saturday July 10th Time: 12:00pm to whenever Open Studio- This is studio time open to everyone for only $10.00 per day. I will have open studios every Friday and on the weekends when no classes are being offered. I am hoping that this will be a place for artists to gather and exchange ideas and to catch up on all the gossip. Instructions: Just put your money in the little yellow envelope , write your name on the envelope and put the envelope in the box. Then have fun and create! Open studio rules: • Please remember that part of Princeton is residential and be courteous to the residents. Please do not park in their driveways. I have one parking space allotted to me (on the side right next to the entrance) and If I’m not there you are welcomed to use it. There should be plenty of parking along the streets, in front of the building and there is a small parking lot in back of the building. • Please keep your voices down after 8:00pm as we have a neighbor living upstairs. • Please clean up after yourselves when you are done. • And last of all come back and use the space again! Sunday July 11th Instructor: Ingrid Pomeroy Class: Pearl Girlz Description: We will be decorating oyster shells with vintage images of bathing beauties, lots of beautiful shells, beads, moss, sand, and more. What a perfect way to spend a Summer afternoon! Items to bring: All items will be supplied Time: 1:00 to 4:00pm Fee: $45.00 (Includes some yummy sweets!) To sign up for class please email Ingrid at [ipomeroy@peoplepc.com] See you at the studio!

July Classes at the studio

Greetings everyone! Well tomorrow is the first of July. Time to post the schedule for the studio. In an effort to start everyone thinking about Holiday gift giving we have nominated this month as "Christmas in July". We really have a great line up this month. It starts off with Julee Hermann's fabulous new class called The Secret Journal. As you can see from the picture above this journal is absolutely amazing! It looks just like a sacred relic hidden away for thousands of years. Here are the class details: Saturday July 10th Instructor: Julee Hermann/Vivian Young-McDonald Class: Secret Journal Description: Dip your toe into the art of mixed media book making. In this half day class we will be using stamps, embossing powders, soldering, stainless steel, needle and thread, paper, ribbon, and mat board to create a wonderful little book perfect for your ideas, lists and collections of thoughts. Beginners Welcome! I'll be teaching how to solder and Viv will be showing you how to bind a book! Together we'll be sharing our "Secret Journal" with you! Items to bring: Please bring your paper trimmer, scissors, glue and soldering kit if you have one. Time: 12:00 to 4:00pm Class Fee: $65 includes instruction and kit To sign up for class please email Julee at http://leoqueen1969@yahoo.com

On Sunday Ingrid Pomeroy will be teaching her incredible Pearl Girlz! This is the perfect summer class especially here on the coast! Who wouldn't want to take one of these bathing beauties home? Here are the details

Sunday July 11th Instructor: Ingrid Pomeroy Class: Pearl Girlz Description: We will be decorating oyster shells with vintage images of bathing beauties, lots of beautiful shells, beads, moss, sand, and more. What a perfect way to spend a Summer afternoon! Items to bring: All items will be supplied Time: 1:00 to 4:00pm Fee: $45.00 (Includes some yummy sweets!) To sign up for class please email Ingrid at ipomeroy@peoplepc.com

The next week sees two of my classes. The first being my Shrink Art Beach Glass bracelet. This is the perfect class not only for summer but as a Christmas gift! The second class will be the 4th in my altered Book Series. This time we will be learning to carve a niche. Here are the details of both classes:

Wednesday July 14th Instructor: Connie Andrews Class: Shrink Art #6-Beach Glass Description: Do you love to beach comb? Are you especially attracted by the jewel tones of beach glass? You don’t have to walk on the beach to find these jewels. We can make them with shrink Plastic! In this class we will learn to simulate beach glass with shrink plastic then combine it with glass beads, pearls, charms and wire to make a beautiful beach glass charm bracelet. Items to Bring: Please bring a pair of scissors all other materials will be supplied. Time: 6:00pm to 9:00pm Fee: $40.00 To sign up for this class please email me at connie@isbjorn.com Saturday July 17th Instructor: Connie Andrews Class: Altered Books #4: The Niche Description: How can a book hold a 3 dimensional object? By cutting a niche of course! In this 4th class in the Altered Book Series we will learn to cut and prepare a niche to hold your special treasures, create a shrine or a 3-D scene. Items to bring: Your altered book and altered book kit that includes an xacto knife or box cutter and a cutting mat. Time: 10:00 to 2:00pm Fee: $35.00 Class limit: 6 If you wish to sign up for this class please email me at connie@isbjorn.com

Next we have an exciting double class day. The first part of the day will be taught by Maria Ontiveros. Maria will be teaching us all how to make fabulous cards using all the little bits and pieces of ephemera we have lying around. The second part of the day Cindy McCool will teach us her Domino Making methods. You will be experimenting with alcohol inks, rubber stamps and the dremel. If you are interested in making Christmas gifts with your personal signature now is the time to start! Here are the details of both classes:

Saturday July 24th *********Double class for Christmas in July********** Instructor: Maria Ontiveros Class: Creating Cards with Ephemera Class Description: Are you swimming in collage sheets, text paper plus other ephemera and want a way to put it to good use? Love the look of vintage cards but don't know where to start or don't have the materials? Want to get a start on your Christmas presents now? Come and learn how to use collage images, text and other ephemera to create visually balanced and aesthetically pleasing cards. We will cover four designs/techniques, and the class fee includes materials to complete eight cards. In addition, the class fee includes a wooden cigar box in which to package your cards, making them the perfect gift. Items to bring: Please bring scissors, a paper trimmer, and your favorite adhesive. Although I will have plenty of ephemera and rubber stamps, you are free to bring your own rubber stamps and ephemera. Time: 9:00am to 12:00pm Fee: $30.00 To Sign up for Marias class please email her at rinda1961@yahoo.com Instructor: Cindy McCool Class: Domino Gifts Cindy’s Way Description: Come learn how to use Alcohol Inks for your domino backgrounds and use power tools as you drill your completed projects to complete with fashion bail closures and charms. Each student will complete 3 dominos including an "Initial Domino" and will leave class with fully completed Dominos that can be immediately worn or given as gifts. Items to bring: Apron or wear clothing that you don't mind getting accidental stains on as alcohol inks are permanent, Brushes to smoothly apply diamond glaze onto your domino, Heat tool, mouse pad Time: 1:00 to 4:00pm Fee: $35.00 Class limit: 8 students To sign up for this class please email Cindy at: cindy@mccoolmgt.com

The last class of the month but certainly not the least is being taught by the very talented Erica Shue. Do you want to send a loved one a special more personal birthday wish? How about sending a card made by your own hand? Erica also donates all proceeds from this class to the Make-a-wish-foundation.

Here are the particulars:

Thursday July 29th Instructor: Erica Shue Class: Make-a-wish Birthday Card Class Description: Come make birthday cards and help support the Greater Bay Area Make-A-Wish Foundation. Share the power of a wish while making 6 handmade cards. $20 of your class fee will be donated to Make-A-Wish and will help grant wishes to children with life threatening medical conditions. Written information about Make-A-Wish is available by calling (800) 464-9474 or by visiting its website at www.makewish.org. Time: 6:00 to 9:00pm Fee: $25.00 Class limit: 8 To sign up for Erica’s class please email her at charmbracelet13@hotmail.com Really guys isn't this a great line up of classes for July? But that's not all this month. If you are not into making your Christmas Gifts this year why not come to our Art Flea Market and Trunk Show?! Not only will some of our talented artists be selling their creations, this will also be the perfect place to find that special item to add to your current project.

Sunday July 25th Art Flea Market and trunk show! Interested in holiday shopping, but don't have time to create? Or are you looking for really cool art stuff for that special project? This is the place to find all of it in our first Art Flea Market and Trunk Show! Time: 9:00am to 1:00pm Free entry for buyers $20.00 fee for participants. ***Participation is free for anyone that has paid their monthly studio membership! To sign up to participate please email me at connie@isbjorn.com We hope to see you soon!